Captivated centre conductor connector



March 17, 1970 HARRIS ET AL 3,501,737

CAPTIVATED CENTRE CONDUCTOR CONNECTOR Filed May 15, 1968 INVENTORSGERALD HARRIS ARTHUR FREDERICK DAVY ATTORN EYS United States Patent3,501,737 CAPTIVATED CENTRE CONDUCTOR CONNECTOR Gerald Harris, Rexdale,Ontario, and Arthur F. Davy,

Weston, Ontario, Canada, assignors to Trim-Line Connectors Ltd., Weston,Ontario, Canada Filed May 13, 1968, Ser. No. 728,657 Int. Cl. H01r17/18, 13/58 US. Cl. 3 39-177 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thisinvention relates toa connector for electrically connecting the end of acoaxial cable used for communication signal transmission to anelectronic device such as an amplifier, receiver, transmitter, controlbox, junction, etc.

It is practice to connect coaxial cables that carry television and likesignals to electronic devices where they connect with a communicationcircuit by means of connectors that are adapted to be as weather-tightas possible. Provision must be made for connecting both the outerconductor and the centre conductor of the coaxial cable to the circuit.In this connection it is usual to provide a socket to receive the centreconductor, but difiiculty has been encountered in providing asatisfactory means for securing the centre conductor with respect to itssocket. This invention provides a simple and positive way for securingthe centre conductor of the coaxial cable with respect to the connectorso that a positive connection can be made that will not with time pullout or be displaced.

It is therefore an object to provide a simple and effective device forclamping the inner conductor of a coaxial cable with respect to aconnector that is adapted to connect the cable to a circuit control boxor the like.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a connector that willeffectively grip the outer conductor as well as the inner conductor.

With these and other objects in view, a connector for coaxial cableaccording to this invention has a socket for the centre conductor andcomprises a tubular casing adapted to conduct electricity having atleast a tubular base and a tubular base cap, the tubular base and thetubular base cap having principal axes aligned and being relativelymovable with respect to each other along their aligned principal axes, atubular cable clamp carried by one of the tubular base and tubular basecap, said tubular base clamp having an outer collar of metal and aninner collar of a resilient electricity insulating material, said outercollar and said inner collar each being radially compressible, saidouter collar being formed with a clamping surface at an incline to itsprincipal axes and being adapted to yield to force thereagainst toradially compress the outer and the inner collar, said inner collarbeing resilient and adapted to re-assert itself upon release of forceapplied to the outer collar to return the outer and the inner collar totheir normal position upon the release of force on said clamping surfaceof said outer collar, said tubular base and said tubular base cap beingadapted to confine said outer collar as they are moved towards eachother to exert a force on said clamping surface of said outer collar,said inner collar being adapted to receive and grip said socket for saidcentre conductor to exert a clamping force thereon that will grip andretain a conductor therein.

The invention will be clearly understood after reference to thefollowing detailed specification read in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of a connector according to the invention,and

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIGURE 1.

The connector has a tubular casing, the principal parts of which are thebase 10 and the base cap 12. A section 14, which will be referred tolater, is adapted to provide a moisture seal around the outside of thecable 16 that is retained thereby.

The clamp is adapted to electrically connect an end of a coaxial cable1'6 to a circuit in a junction box or the like, and it has a socketcontact 18 which is electrically insulated by means of the plasticinsulating material 20 from the metallic parts 10, 12 and 14 of thetubular casing. The contact 18 extends through the plastic material 20and has a yieldable tubular socket 22 concentrically arranged within thebase 10 of the casing. Socket 22 is formed with longitudinally extendingslits so that it can be compressed to rigidly grip the inner conductor24 of the coaxial cable 16.

A tubular cable clamp composed of an outer metallic collar 26 and aninner plastic collar 28 of an electricity insulating material is carriedby the cooperating sections of the casing 10 and .12 and is adapted uponmanipulation of the sections 10 and 12 to grip the yieldable socket 22to compress it to securely retain therein the inner condoctor 24 in use.

Both the outer metallic collar 26 and the inner plastic collar 28 of thecable clamp are each formed with a split 30 and 32 respectively so thatthey can be compressed radially to perform their clamping function onthe tubular socket 22. It should be noted that the outer collar 26 ismade of a metal similar to themetal of the casing, which is in turn madesimilar to the metal of the outer conductor for the purpose of avoidingcorrosion. This metal is commonly aluminum, and aluminum notoriously haslittle or no resilient properties. The inner collar is made of a plasticmaterial for the purpose of electrically insulating the outer conductorof the cable 16 from the inner conductor and for the purpose of givingresilience to the clamping member. The inner collar, therefore, musthave the required di-electric strength and it must also have sufficientresilience to expand the metallic outer conductor when clamping pressureis released therefrom so that the clamping action on the socket 22 isreleased. Suitable plastic materials for the inner collar are resilientacetals, nylons, phenolics which have electricity insulatingcharacteristics.

In the embodiment of the 'invetnion shown the outer collar 26 of thecable clamp is also adapted to function as a clamping device for theouter conductor 34 of the cable 16; and in this respect it will be notedthat it is formed with teeth that engage with the outer conductor 34.The clamping function, however, of the outer conductor can be performedby other and independent clamping means.

It will be apparent that by reason of the split ring construction of thecollars 26 and 28, they can be compressed radially to perform theclamping functions referred to. This in practice is achieved by means ofthe clamping surface 36 on the collar 26 which is at an incline to theprincipal axis thereof and which is also adapted to yield to forcesthereagainst to radially compress the ring. This is achieved in use bythreading the sections of the frame and 12 relatively closer to eachother by turning them with respect to each other so that the clampingsurface 36 slides under the free end 38 of the casing section 10 toradially compress the outer ring 26 and therefore the inner ring 28 toachieve the clamping functions. When the threadedly engaging parts 12and 10 are moved in the opposite direction, the resilience of the innerring 28 permits it to re-insert itself and to expand the outer ringwhereby clamping arrangement on the socket 22 and on the outer surfaceof the cable is released.

Numeral 14 refers to a third casing section that threadedly engages inthe open end of the section 12, and when tightened compression an O-ring40 to provide a moisture seal around the outer surface 34 of the cable16. An O-ring 42 is provided for a similar purpose between the casingsections 10 and 12.

Numerals 44 and 46 refer to a mounting nut and washer, respectively, formounting the connector on the wall of a control box where the cable isconnected. Once mounted by means of the mounting means 44 and 46-,circuit connections within the box can be made in the usual way with thesocket contact 18 and the outer conductor. It will be appreciated thatthe outer ring 26 serves to effect a good electrical connection betweenthe parts of the casing and thereby continue the other conductor throughto the control box in use.

Embodiments of this invention other than the one illustrated will beapparent to those skilled in the art.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. A connector for coaxial cable comprising a tubular casing ofelectricity conducting material, having at least a tubular base and atubular base cap, said casing having a contact electrically insulatedtherefrom, said contact having a yieldable tubular socket adapted toreceive the centre conductor of a coaxial cable, said base and saidtubular base cap having their principal axes aligned and being movablerelatively to each other along their principal axes, a tubular cableclamp carried by one of said base and said base cap, said tubular cableclamp having an outer electricity conducting metallic collar and aninner collar of a resilient electricity insulating material, said outercollar and said inner collar being radially compressible, said outercollar being formed with a clamping surface at an incline to theprincipal axis thereof, said base and base cap being formed to receivesaid outer collar therebetween and to exert a force on said clampingsurface thereof to radially compress said clamp as said base and basecap are moved towards each other.

2. A connector for coaxial cable as claimed in claim 1, in which saidouter collar and said inner collar are each in the form of a split ring.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 1, in which said outer collar andsaid tubular base and said tubular base cap are all made of a similarmetal.

4. A connector as claimed in claim 2, in which said outer collar andsaid tubular base and said tubular base cap are all made of a similarmetal.

5. A connector for coaxial cable as claimed in claim 1, in which saidouter collar is formed with an inside diameter adapted to receive andclamp the outer conductor of a coaxial cable.

6. A connector for coaxial cabl as claimed in claim 2, in which saidouter collar is formed with an inside diameter adapted to receive andclamp the outer conductor of a coaxial cable.

7. A connector as claimed in claim 1, in which said outer collar andsaid tubular base and said tubular base cap are all made of a similarmetal and in which said outer collar is formed with an inside diameteradapted to receive and clamp the outer conductor of a coaxial cable.

8. A connector as claimed in claim 2, in which said outer collar andsaid tubular base and said tubular base cap are all made of a similarmetal and in which said outer collar is formed with an inside diameteradapted to receive and clamp the outer conductor of a coaxial cable.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,292,136 12/1966 Somerset339-103 X FOREIGN PATENTS 920,725 3/1963 Great Britain.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 3 391 03

